On Wednesday the UC Berkeley Board of Regents committee approved a controversial tuition increase plan. Students vehemently apposed the plan but felt they weren't given a fair say in the Board of Regents committee decision. The plan will raise tuition in increments over the next 5 years where it will top out at a whopping 28% increase over this year. The plan will also allow the university to enroll at least 5,000 more in-state students and 2,000 more nonresident students over the next five years.
After the Board of Regents decision, a group of students and community activists began to occupy Wheeler Hall. The occupation has grown to over 200 students so far with no sign of stopping.
The occupiers demands are as follows: (1) all tuition hikes halted, (2) a transparent budget from UC Berkeley, (3) better representation at the Board of Regents, and (4) roll back of executive pay increases.
What do you think of the rising tuition rates and the crippling debt of student loans in the US? Other countries, such as Germany, begin to make education free. Do you think it would be a good idea for educators to start adopting the mindset of free education? Do you think Americans will be receptive to the idea?

It's been a series problem; I like to think that Americans on the whole would love the idea of adopting free education, but I have trouble seeing how changing to the current for-profit system that has formed to a free system woudl actually be successful! I went to a public school, but my state stopped funding it mid way through and the prices jumped up. What else was there to be done? I'm not sure what we can do to fix this!